from the English “fishball” based off how Filipinos pronounce “f” as “p”
This is a non-standard word that can’t be found in dictionaries. It can be considered slang and/or a spelling corruption.
Pishbol is a type of street food that has been very popular among Filipinos for many decades.
What are they? Nothing but airy balls of dough that are fried in a deep pan of oil.
Fresh and piping hot out of the wok, the seller drains them of oil in a strainer and then skewers a few onto a thin stick. Because they’re filled with air, the “fishballs” quickly deflate into flat pieces.
Out in the street, the buyer dips the stick of pishbol into a communal container of sauce. Even Filipinos recognize that it’s not hygienic and will jovially agree it’s unsanitary.
“So dirty but soooo good.” That’s sort of the essence of street food in many parts of the world.
Aka peaceballs / pisbol.
